Waiting for Superman

This is one of the most amazing movies I have seen in a while. As I walked out of the alamo drafthouse thinking that I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to be one of those amazing teachers that I had just heard about. But then reality set in. I am not a teacher, nor do I think I possess the skill to be one. Even though this may/may not be true I want to help make a change. Watch the movie, and tell me what you think.

Is there ever enough time in the day?

This is a question that I constantly ask myself. Is there ever enough time in the day for sleeping? Is there ever enough time in the day for getting the mountains of work done that you need to tackle? Is there ever enough time in the day for simply going on a long walk?

The answer is that there is NEVER enough timein the day to get everything done. So, how do you decide what take priority. Recently sleeping has not been high up on my list of priorities and because of that I am truly feeling exhausted today. I sometime dream of being able to crawl under my extra large desk at work and take a little cat nap. But unfortunately today that is not an option, because there is so much to do!

Don't you remember those days when you were young and you resisted your afternoon naps. Why did we not understand or realize that one day we would cherish those naps and grow to love them? Until the time I am able to once again take long afternoon naps (a.k.a. quiet with fan time) I will just wish I could be like these people.





and of course there must be a fan!

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures!

It really is no secret that I am horrible about putting pictures up online. I am not sure why I am so bad about uploading the pictures. I think it has something to do with the fact that it is a very slow and tedious process, and I would rather be spending my time doing something else. But for all you out there that are waiting on me to upload pictures I promise to do so soon, and I mean very soon.....but please don't hold your breath!

When I moved into my apartment I knew that I did not want to paint the walls, because it would be a huge pain to repaint them when I was ready to move. So instead I opted for covering my walls in pictures. Like this one -



I choose to buy these inexpensive frames from IKEA because I wanted to spend more money on being able to get nice prints to put in the frames. In order to keep some continuity I choose only black frames, but they do vary in size and shape. Ideally I would love my apartment wall to look like this:



or even this



I can remember the first time I saw anything like this was on an episode of Tori Spelling's show with her husband. They were shooting in their house and Tori had this wall of black photo frames, all shapes and sizes covering an accent wall in living room. Not long later I was filling in for my sister when she could not babysit for her regular family and they too had a wall covered in an assortment of picture frames.

So when I began to think of a way to decorate my apartment I decided I wanted to hang picture of all the places I had traveled. Now every time I look at the wall I am filled reminded of amazing experiences and filled with happy memories.

How would you cover the wall of your apartment?

New Computer New Start

Wow, where has the time gone? It is hard to believe that it has been six months since my last post. A lot of wonderful and exciting things have happened, and over the next couple of weeks I hope to share with you all some of the fun adventures I have been on.

Last weekend my computer had a sad sad death. It was five years old and was nearing the end of it's life. After a few panicked hours of wondering whether it would come back to life, and another handful of panicked phone calls to friends near and far which included a suggestion to submerge my computer in bags of rice, it became apparent that my computer needed to be replaced.

So here I am blogging from my brand new macbook pro!



This computer is really inspiring and amazing, and it is motivating me to get back to blogging. So WELCOME BACK! I am here to stay and can't wait to share all thoughts, inspirations, and ideas with you all.

Where is my apartment fairy?

Recently I have been unmotivated to decorate my apartment, and with my birthday approaching next month I am really beginning to realize that I need to take the bull by the horns and tackle my apartment. There really is nothing wrong with my apartment, I just wish it looked like this.

or like this:

I think I am channeling all my looks from this amazing book that I found and that I want so badly!

I would love to have a flea market inspired apartment. How fun would it be to go out to different flea markets on weekends and look for great finds! That sounds like so much fun. The only hiccup I see is that I don't know where great flea markets are in Austin, and if I found this great flea market how would I get my stuff home? Cram it all into the back seat of my Jetta? I am not so sure if that would work.

Maybe I should be channeling this look more, since I do live downtown.


I guess that I am a work in progress. I am sure soon I will figure out what I am suppose to be doing with my apartment, and just as my luck would have it I am sure that as soon as I get my apartment to my liking I will be moving.

I think the book I really need is this one.

No one can argue with the fact that CoCo Chanel was one of the most amazing and fabulous women to ever live. Did you know that CoCo was actually her nickname?

I think that the person I really need to be channeling is my lovely CoCo!

Lightning and Thunder

It is no big secret that I am terrified of lightning and thunder. Even as an adult I am still scared of it. Growing up and even through college I would hide in closets or under covers in pure fear. I thought I would eventually out grow my fears, but it seems to still be with me.

Tonight while I was driving home from work it was thundering and lightning so hardly that every time light flashed across the ski and the large crack sounds filled the air I jumped in my drivers seat. Do you have something that you are scared of? Do you think you will ever outgrow it?

I wonder when the day will come that I no longer jump at lightning and thunder.

Textbooks

I thought I would never say this, but I actually miss being in school. I miss the smell of new textbooks, and freshly sharpened pencils. While I might not of been the best writer at Sewanee, but I really enjoyed writing papers. I think what I miss the most is being academically stimulated, and the way that your brain functions when you are learning new material.

One year ago today I walked out of the dupont library after having completed the writing section of my anthropology comp. While I still had my orals in two days, the hardest part was over. I can remember my advisor Dr. Murdock telling us a few days before comps to enjoy them. At the time I could hardly believe what she was saying, enjoy comps? How could you enjoy something that was going to make or break your life? That was determining whether you would graduate or not? She went on to clarify herself saying that when you walked out of your comps you would be the smartest you had ever been and no one could take that away from you.

Unlike many people, I actually enjoyed comps. I liked studying and seeing the end result. I liked making connections between the different classes and I loved when I finally grasped a concept I had been struggling with. Since I am no longer in school I am not longer being motivated academically. I no longer have to read a book and then show up to a lecture class to discuss that book. I am sure that many people have this same feeling and I guess that is why many people join a book club.

I don't think a book club is the answer to my lack of academic stimulation. Recently I have been thinking a lot about returning to school and receiving a masters in nursing. I realize that this would be a long process but I am actually beginning to look forward to this prospect. I would have to begin with taking a lot of pre recs at the local community college and then I would transfer into UT. I know that this is a pretty big and lofty goal, but even if I shoot for the moon and miss I will still land among the stars.

So I soon might be hitting the books once again!

Hello

Things have been very busy recently and I am sorry for neglecting my blog. This past week South by South West (SXSW) invaded Austin. Traffic has been crazy and I am sorta glad that the music festival is over so that things in Austin can return to normal. The weather has drastically changed in the last week. Over night it seems the weather has jumped up to 70+. Which is wonderful, but I am really not used to it being this warm in March. It is crazy that I am able to wear shorts and t-shirts in March and to actually think about turning on the AC. I can hardly begin to think what it is going to be like in June/July/August.

Recently I have drawn more and more to cookbooks, which has motivated me to cook more. I think now that I am not going to be working in the evening I am feeling more motivated to cook. This week I am going to try and make some potato and leek soup which I found in one of my new cookbooks. I will keep you all posted on my progress!

Hope you all are having a good start to the week. I am super tired from the crazyness that was last week, but I promise to bring you photos soon!

It is Illegal!!!

It is illegal to text while driving in the state of Texas. But does that still apply to you when you are sitting at a red light? The reason I ask this is because today I was sitting at a red light about a block from my apartment with my windows down and the man in the car next to me yelled "it is illegal to text while driving!" My response to him was "i am sitting at a red light!" So I ask you - Does the law still apply?

The man was very nice to remind me that it was a $500 fine for breaking the law and that I should not be texting. I think that he does have a good point that it is not very safe while driving. Maybe we should all sign Oprah's pledge what we will neither text nor talk while driving. The man's words have been ringing in my ear all day and I am now trying to be a safer and more cautious drive.

I still find it hard to believe that a complete stranger yelled out of his car window at me while sitting at a red light about my texting.

Eclipse!

It is a beautiful day in Austin TX and I can barely stand it that I am inside and not outside, but work calls. This morning when I got on line to check my facebook I noticed a particular post on my news feed that intrigued me. Someone has posted the newly released Eclipse movie trailer on a friends facebook page. After seeing this post I immediately turned to youtube to find the trailer for myself. Like always, youtube did not let me down. The first search that popped up was the newly released eclipse trailer, and boy was I excited!

I know what some of you are thinking. I don't like the twilight series and I can not believe that people talk about it so much. I must admit I used to be one of those people. I did not read the books, nor did I see the movies. This past thanksgiving I was home in Norfolk for a long holiday and I needed a book to read. I went to my sister's room and took the first book off her shelve and began reading it. I WAS HOOKED! It is not very good English or well written, but I must admit that the plot is very catchy and causes you to keep reading to find out what happens. After reading the first two books I went and saw the movies. But I think I was hooked the moment I opened the first book cover. Now I have become one of those individuals that I used to complain about, who is waiting on pins and needles for the next movie installment to be released.

Presently I am on the last book and so excited to see the ending, but at the same time sad to be at the end of the series.

I am a major weeper

One of my favorite lines in the movie The Holiday is "I am a major weeper", especially because it is said in an english accent. I am not really sure what a major weeper is, but I can only assume that a major weeper cries a lot. Today I am a major weeper. I am having one of those days where I am just feeling very emotional about EVERYTHING. I am sure it has something to do with the amount of stress I am feeling from work and the fact that nothing I do seems to be right. I really hate that feeling when you try to do things right, but instead everything turns out wrong. I guess that is what people call trial by error. If there was a competition about trial by error then I think I would win.

There are somethings though that I can be thankful about. I am very lucky to have the boss I have, who really appreciates all the hard work I do; even if I mess up a lot. He told me that there had to be some type of learning curve to my nob and he is right. There is no way that I could of stepped into this job and immediately known everything there is to know about my position. So the mistakes I am making I simply account to "the learning curve". People keep telling me that you need to get one year under your belt, then everything will be a lot easier. I am sure they are right. Next year I will of done every single one of these programs at least once and I will know what to expect. But for now I am just taking it one step at a time. I am slowly making progress and improving, even though I constantly feel like I am sliding down a slippery slope.

For now I am going to keep fighting the good fight, something my english professor always told me while in college. He would say "Keep fighting the good fight Ms. Conkling." Ms. Conkling here is continuing to fight the good fight, even though I might shed a tear or two along the way. But lets be honest, I have always been a major weeper.

Motivation: where have you gone?

I am feeling so very unmotivated recently. I know what stuff I need to do for work, but I just can not seem to do it until the wee hours of the morning. I attribute this problem to my four years at Sewanee. There were many long nights at Sewanee where I stayed up late into the early hours of the next day procrastinating. As my friend Emily would attest to, your best papers are begun at 4am and due at 8am. While those were long exhausting nights, they are some of the fondest memories of my college experience.

This mentality has unfortunately been a hold over from my college years that has followed me to Austin. I think that my lack of motivation stems from the fact that my job is a very flexible work environment. My boss gives me the freedom to set my own office hours, which causes me to be put off doing my work until late at night. The only problem with doing this is that is causes me to get into a weird nocturnal sleep pattern. I know eventually it will all sort it out, but as of now I am looking for my motivation mojo.

I will miss you John Hughes

WOW, Last night was amazing. Not only did Sandra Bullock win for the movie The Blind Side, they payed tribute to John Hughes by playing a montage of some of his most famous films. John Hughes is known for launching the career of Molly Ringwald, who was very popular in the 80s. He made quotes like "Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?" very famous. Some of my favorite films, like Sixteen Candles, are the result of this famous writer and producer who was a revolutionary for his time. He was addressing topics and themes that no one else was even mentioning. John set out to portray middle class America from the perspective of a teenager. Many of his main characters were not from the "in" crowd, but were average high school students facing the same issues we all face of trying to fitting in and be accepted.



One of my favorite scenes of all times is at the end of Sixteen Candles when Sam, Molly Ringwald, and Jake, Michael Schoeffling, are sitting on a glass table leaning over a birthday cake kissing. I just love the ending to that film. Sam, an underclassmen, who has had a crush on the upper classmen jock Jake finally gets noticed, and on her birthday gets her birthday wish, a kiss.


In writing this blog I just realized that Michael Schoeffling was also in one of my all time favorite movies, Wild Heart's Can't Be Broken. I was introduced to this disney classic by one of my best friends Katherine. I spent many high school evenings at her house watching this movie. We were in love with AL, Michael Schoeffling, who taught girls to dive horses. Again, another hopelessly romantic film about two individuals who under normal circumstances might never of come together.

I hope you all are enjoying your Monday afternoon. It is raining here in Austin as I try to get some of my work done.

Oscars Night

My FAVORITE holiday has come! THE OSCARS!!! I am sorry my loves for being absent on my blog but I am back to celebrate one of my most favorite nights of the year.

Last year I spent this wonderful evening with my friends freezing on a couch in the German house. This year I am watching it on my own couch in my apartment in Austin. While this year I am not with my closest and dearest friends, I am still with them in spirit. There is something about the Oscars that is so magical. It might be the amazing dresses that drift down the red carpets, the Barbara Walter's special that is a true Oscar tradition, or the underlying stories that come alive transporting us to a magical world.

In my opinion Hugh Jackson did an amazing job last year, so Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin have large shoes to fill. There are going to be a few differences this year with a larger movie pool. The academy did this hoping that more films would get recognized and gain national attention. I wonder though if having more films in the mix will actually change the outcome.

One of my favorite parts of this night are the acceptance speeches. Yes, some of them can we long and annoying, but some of them are simply amazing. On cold dark days I have been known to youtube some classic speeches like Julia Roberts, Helen Mirren, and Tom Hanks. Their 1 or 2 min speeches really hit home and you can see the passion and emotion in their expressions. These amazing, talented actors and actresses have the ability to transport you into another world, and that is why I love movies. Every time I watch another film I enter into a different world where new different things are happening. It gives me the opportunity to have new and different experiences that I might not of been able to have.

Looking back over this past year there have been many standout performances, but none in my eyes were as wonderful as Sandra Bullock. This past year she stared in not one, not two, but three films. Each of them were very different but very poignant, which only proves her versatility. I feel like I can relate to her characters, but also I feel motivated to go out and make a difference. While I would love to see Sandra Bullock win I feel sad to see Meryl Streep nominated again and to not win. I think she has been nominated more times then anyone else but she has not won recently, which makes me sad because she really is an amazing actress. But as my friend Megan would say, "It is all about the dress." Those that dress the part, win the Oscar. Kate Winslet won the Oscar last year, and we all knew it immediately when we saw her in her dress, because it was an Oscar dress! So who ever has the prettier dress, Meryl or Sandra, will win.

Tonight is the night when dreams will come true! It is also a night to pay tribute to those films that have made laugh, smile, and even cry. While not all of these films received a nod from the academy, they get top marks in Mary's world.










Mary's favorite movies of 2009 -

Colorado Bound

I am off to Colorado for a mid week trip to see my family and do some skiing! I am very excited about this little break from my crazy life in Austin. This past weekend was really long, and honestly a total blur looking back at it. I was with middle school youth for a retreat and boy was it trouble. Between youth breaking their ankles and jumping in the lake at dusk, there were plans of boy girl late night meetings. I think the thing that I was most embarrassed about was the fact that these youth were so rude. It made me think back to when I was there year and I began to ask this question, "Did I really act that way?". I mean honestly they talked back to the adults like there was no tomorrow. Another interesting observation is that if I had had to guess how old they were I would of said they looked more like 18 then 12. Come on girls dress your age, not like sluts. Is this what our world is coming to?

Well I got to run I have to drive back to my apartment and finish packing all before my airport shuttle comes to pick me up. Maybe there will be some pictures from the slopes of Steamboat in the near future!

ps-Ruth you will be missed but Philip and I know you are having an amazing time in Austria! LOVES

It is all about the small things in life

I have been told recently that I need to focus on the small things in my life and celebrate those successes. So in taking that to heart I have been thinking about stuff that makes me happy, like drinking hot chocolate on cold winter days, snuggling up under my covers with a great book, having long phone conversations with the ones I love, and last but not least listening to my favorite instrumental music.

I have noticed recently that it is easy to let your spirit get low. People keep telling me that time is on my side, and that if I am patient everything will work out well. But why is it so hard to be patient? Personally I am a very impatient person, but I am trying to get better a little at a time. My newest mantra though is, "it is not me, it is them." I catch myself throughout the day saying that over and over again as I remind myself that I am not always responsible for how people feel. Honestly though that is very difficult to do because as humans we tend to take things personally as a reflection of who we are as individuals.

Today though I am celebrating the little things in my life, like the fact that I get to wear my sewanee sweats, my uggs, and a hoodie to work and no one cares. So while it is difficult I am trying to teach myself to look beyond individuals reactions, to understand their perspective and reasoning for why they are acting a certain way. For in some cases it really is not me, it is them.

What is this white percipitation falling from the sky?

Yes, you guessed it.....SNOW! Believe it or not yesterday it snowed all day and the city went crazy. You would of thought that we were preparing for the next world war by the way people here in Austin were reacting. Schools were all delayed in the morning, and then later in the day they were canceled. The accumulation in some parts was about 4 inches, just enough to shut down an entire city. I realize that this is nothing compared to the amount of snow that hit the east coast this winter. My friends who live especially in the North East have been buried under snow, and what Austin received is nothing in comparison to what they have accumulated.

I personally think that the most hilarious parts of our "winter storm" was how there was such a big hype built up around the fact that it was going to snow in Austin. As soon as the first flakes began to fall from the sky in the early morning everyone was getting on their phones and computers sending texts and emails to everyone they knew to announce that the snow had arrived. I personally spent the entire day in a long planning meeting so I did not get to participate in any snow day activities. It was nice though to curl up by the fire and have a large bowl of new england clam chowder for lunch. Moments like those remind me of fond memories I have from my childhood when all of Norfolk would be shut down for days on end because of snow.

Texas weather though is very unpredictable and ever changing. Sunday for example was such a beautiful day! It was almost 80 degrees and the sun was out shinning in full force. I tried to soak up as much vitamin d as I could. Then two days later the weather drops into the low 30s and it snows. Will I ever get us to this ever changing weather?

Bye Bye ZAX!

For the past few months I have been working two jobs. Since Thanksgiving I have been hostessing at this cute little restaurant off South Congress. I originally took this job because I had too much free time on my hands. All the free time was making me more sad and lonely, so I thought if I filled up all my free time it would make me happier. While that initially worked well, recently it has been back firing on me. These past few weeks have been very long weeks, 65+ hour weeks, and then wen you add another 20 hours at ZAX it begins to take a toll on your physical, mental and emotional strength. Saturday night was the final straw. I did not sleep at all Saturday night and I quickly realized I could not continue at this pace. I thought when I graduated from Sewanee I would no longer have to pull any all nighters, obviously I was wrong.

Tonight I told one of the owners of ZAX that I was going to finish out the shifts that had already been scheduled for me, but that I did not want to be put back on the schedule. Unfortunately I did not realize that another hostess has also decided to leave, so I feel a little guilty that within a few days of one another two of the three hostesses are leaving. I need to take care of my own personal health and that is a higher priority than what works best for ZAX. I think part of me though is sad that I am leaving ZAX. While it can be a really boring and stressful job at times, I do enjoy laughing and joking around with the other wait staff. It is really one of the only times during the day that I get to hangout with people my own age. My normal companions are high school students and they provide a different type of social atmosphere.

So farewell ZAX! I will miss you and your cheap meals, but I really need to make myself a priority. Having my evenings and weekends free again will mean that I can travel more and maybe try new things around Austin!

Chocolate....got to love it!

There are somethings in the year that can always be expected. One such events comes in the dead of February, Lent. For the past few years I have not only been trying to give up something but I have also been trying to talk something on. This year I have given up sweets, but boy do I miss CHOCOLATE! I mean doesn't this look delicious.....

But unfortunately I will not be eating any chocolate cake for a while....or atleast until Easter.

But Lent is more then just giving up something. It is a time for self reflection and self evaluation. This can be hard at times, but it is also a good thing. So for now, chocolate is out of the question, but sodium is not! All I have to say is "Bring on the Salt". I am craving salt now more then ever.

Hope you all are making it through February smoothly. It was a wonderful 78 degrees yesturday here in TX. I do not think I have ever been in a place where it gets that warm in February before so I am soaking it in, literally absorbing all the vitamin D I can.

Sleepless Nights

Recently I have not been sleeping well, actually I have not really been sleeping at all. Lent has begun and things are very crazy in my life right now, but being busy is not always a bad thing.

Part of growing up is learning certain life lessons. These life lessons can at times be very painful and difficult, but that is part of maturing. This past week has been a particularly hard week for me. There are always bad and good days, and while the good days normally out number the bad this week they have not. But instead of dwelling on the past I am trying to let it go and move on with the future, which is always easier said then done.

When you enter into the real world after graduation you a young, naive individual who has suddenly been placed in a larger pool. Sometimes you have guidance and structure and other times you are left to fend for yourself. But these are the moments that give us character, right? These are the moments that shape who we are as individuals. Then why can they be so painful or difficult?

Things will get better because every cloud has a silver lining.

The Sky of the Lonestar State

This past weekend Austin hosted the Love Marathon on Valentine's Day. Since I live downtown and my street was part of the course it made it a little difficult to get out of my apartment on Sunday. On Tuesday I participated in my own marathon, a driving marathon to be specific. In one day I drove to Houston and back, and while in Houston I had three meetings. My day started at 5am and ended at 6:30 when I arrived just in time for our pancake supper.

For those of you who have not made the wonderful 3+ hour drive from Austin to Houston then you might not be aware of the fact that there is NOTHING between these two cities. When I accepted my job here in ATX my impressions of TX were the result of childhood movies I had grown up with. One movie in particular, The Rookie, had a profound effect on my impression of TX. The movie depicted towns as having one stop light, one black of empty store fronts and tumble weeds are the only thing rolling down the street. While that is an extreme exaggeration of what a small town in TX, I do think I went through many of these towns during my long commute to and from Houston.

Not only did I witness "the real lonestar state" and see the heart of the people that live in it I got to watch the most beautiful sunset. With the help of my wonderful Iphone I was able to capture these pictures and I wanted to share them with you.







Come and see these beautiful blue skies that go on for days, and you too will feel like you have been transported into another world!

The Olympics start TONIGHT!

The Winter Olympics begin tonight and I am so excited! I have some very fond memories of the Olympics in my childhood. I can remember in 1996 when the Olympics were in Atlanta Georgia. The Olympics were going on during my All Star Swim Meet and I would stay up late in the evening watching the girls gymnastics and swimmers compete. One morning during early morning practice I practically fell asleep in the pool. When my coach asked me why I was so tired I told her I was watching the Olympics! She told me to focus on getting more sleep and watching less Olympics. But really how could I do that when the girl gymnasts were going to win the gold and it all was hinging on Kerri Strug's final Vault. Then a few years later Salt Lake city hosted the winter Olympics and I remember watching the opening ceremonies. During the opening program a little boy ice skated around depicting he history of the Olympics. I can remember the broad casters saying how that little boy had been practicing for months for this moment and how he had to lie to all his friends about what he was doing in the afternoon. During the 2000 Olympics my brother, sister and I made up hand motions to depict Ian Thorpe and we went around for days "doing the Ian Thorpe". Two summers ago I, along with the rest of the world, watched Michael Phelps win seven gold metals. I can remember exactly where I was when he out touched another swimmer by one onehundreths of a second.

The Olympics have been an important part of my childhood. I have always looked forward to both the winter and summer Olympics and for these two weeks I am glued to the TV watching and loving every event. While I watch these world class Olympians perform on the world's largest stage from the comfort of my couch with a bowl of popcorn in my lap, I wonder what they are thinking. Have you ever thought about what it would be like to be an Olympian? Have you ever wanted to be one? The lifestyle they live and the sacrifices they make must deter many from pursuing that course, but then think about how cool it would be to be in the Olympics. When I think about the girl gymnasts and girl figure skaters I see these amazing talented 16-18 year olds who's lives revolve around their sport. Their childhood was the complete opposite of mine.

I hope you enjoy the Olympics as much as I do. I had to clear off part of my DVR this afternoon to make sure I had enough space for the sporting events, I know I am a bit obsessed. Watch as much as you can and wish our team the best of luck!

Movies!

It is no secret that I LOVE MOVIES!! During college I spent many hours curled up in bed snuggling under my quilts watching endless movies. On nasty days, where there is a never ending blanket of rain/sleet falling from the sky I find myself wishing I could stay in bed all day watching pride and prejudice on repeat while drinking hot chocolate. Unfortunately that is not possible because in the real world after college there is something called "A Job".

Even though I can no longer spend all day in bed watching movies I still do love movies and have a insane movie collection. Do you have a favorite movie or does every movie represent something different to you? While I feel like I tell myself all the time that I do not need to buy any more movies I continue to buy them. I find it very difficult to turn down old classics! I am definitely a fan of the old black and whites.

I encourage you to take a day of pure relaxation and stay in bed all day! Curl up with a pile of blankets and lean back against a mound of pillows and indulge in a day of endless movie watching!

Happy Birthday Mom and Dad!

Today my parents are celebrating their birthday and I am sorta sad I am not there to be with them. Philip will have to hold down the fort for Ruth and I because neither of us are home in Virginia these days. Philip and I joined forces and decided to get Mom and Dad a delicious cake from all three kids for their birthday to show them how much we love and appreciate them!

Birthdays always make me reflect on my life as I realize that another year has past. Some times years run together and seem very monotonous, while other years stick out in your memory because something big or important happened. Of course when we reflect on our life we always have those "blunder" memories that pop up and make us cringe internally. I am the queen of those memories. When one flies into my head that I really do not want to remember I shake me head and grind my teeth. The thing is that we all have these moments, so I guess we should not be that embarrassed by them.

"You and I have pasts, families we come from, things we've done, mistakes we've made, and where we've been and what we've done has shaped us into who we are today. So we have to embrace our story, our history. You don't have to be proud of it, but you must claim it because it's yours." I came across this quote a few days ago and I feel like it is talking to me. So from today on I am going to accept what I have done, like breaking a wall sconce at the restaurant...a big whoops, and realize that no matter how embarrassing or exciting it is that it has shaped me into the individual I am today.

**** For all of you who are caught in some cold winter weather I am sending you some warm thoughts! If you get too cold and want to come and warm your little toes in the sun of Austin, my apartment door is always open to you!

The beginning of a new chapter in my life!

Yesterday I reached my sixth month mark of living in Austin, TX. When I moved here in August I really had no idea what I was in for. After the honeymoon period ended reality quickly set in that I am here in Austin working and living by myself.

"Keep Austin Weird" is the universal response or answer for anything in Austin. It is the first thing I learned. This liberal city sits in a very conservative state and it tries to preserve its liberalness by being all inclusive. So the weirder you are the more accepted you are in Austin. When getting dressed in the morning I no longer question if what I am wearing is appropriate because anything goes here in Austin. Workout pants, tee shirts, hoodies and slippers are the typical dress of most Austins.

But over these past six months I have learned a lot about myself and grown as an individual. I am trying to think more outside of the box and be more experimental. I will say that I could not of picked a better city to live in for being a vegetarian. Ever restaurant you go to has a vegetarian option including the local burger joint called P-Terrys. They have the best veggie burger around!

A new chapter in my life has begun and I am embracing it full force. There have been some bumps in the road, some minor set backs but I am learning to work through whatever life throws at me. I am excited to see where life takes me over the next 3 to 4 years as I discover who I am, and eventually answering the age old question: What do I want to do when I go up?